Hurricane Preparedness Tips for Fishers

With the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season now underway and forecasts predicting an active season, the region’s fishers are being encouraged to reinforce their safety protocols.

Statistics and Information Analyst at the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and former Fisheries Officer at Jamaica’s National Fisheries Authority, June Masters, shared tips for fishers at a recent webinar, held under the theme: ‘Disaster Preparedness – Fisheries’.

One of the first steps that she recommended is obtaining an insurance policy that will provide protection and peace of mind in the event of damage to equipment or fishing vessels.

The Information Analyst noted that having a family emergency plan is also a great idea.

“Make sure that it’s in tandem with what is being done nationally. You can get your instructions from your fisheries divisions. Make sure you have your [hurricane] kits available; you have some water, and you have a safe place to run to and all of that,” she outlined.

“Hurricanes, storms, bad weather will happen, and you need to be prepared. So have that in mind. As a fisher, prepare yourself for disasters. Prepare your buildings, prepare your vessels, prepare your gears, all your assets that you have,” Mrs. Masters added.

To ensure that they are fully prepared, she explained that fishers also need to stay informed during the season.

“Listen to your radios, keep abreast. Whatever early warning systems you have, make sure that you stay tuned and you’re following the instructions that are being broadcast. Don’t be left behind,” the Information Analyst warned.

Mrs. Masters noted that once it is declared that a storm/hurricane is expected to impact the country, it is important for fishers to secure their vessels and their gears.

The CRFM advises fishers to remove boats from the water if they can and take them to approved marine shelters or store them in a warehouse.

If they are unable to do so, the regional body encourages them to leave the boats in the water in a protected marina/harbour or hurricane hole (an area that has a history of providing safe refuge during storms).

Boats could also be moved close to a house/building and secured with water or sand to weigh them down and tied to the ground.

Items such as fish pots should also be removed from the water at the first warning of a hurricane or storm.

Once all fishing gears and equipment are secured, fishers should move on to securing their homes and families.

“When it’s clear that a hurricane is about to strike, you should prioritise safety for yourselves and your household. So, if worse comes to worse and you have to run, leave everything, do not hesitate,” Mrs. Masters said.

“I know fishers don’t like to evacuate, because they say, if I leave my stuff behind, somebody will steal it and so on and so forth. But if you have to do it, please be prepared mentally [and] physically to evacuate and do not hesitate to do that. Your life is more important than your gears and everything else. Those you can get back, you can’t get back life,” she maintained.

After the storm/hurricane passes, fishers are advised to continue to keep themselves informed and to focus on creating a recovery plan.

The Information Analyst also warned persons not to venture out to sea until the all-clear is given by the relevant authorities.

Mrs. Masters was among several panellists featured on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) webinar series – ‘Preparing for the 2025 Caribbean Hurricane Season’.